Automotive group FCA along with German transmission manufacturer and supplier ZF are issuing recalls to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) for vehicles fitted with its oft-criticised 9HP nine-speed automatic transmission. While the issues that make it the recipient of many an unfavourable sentiment remain, the recall surrounds a dangerous safety issue that has resulted in hundreds - if not thousands - of warranty claims over the years.
It is related to a faulty crimp found on some of the transmission’s wiring harnesses that could potentially cause the transmission to inadvertently shift into neutral. Of course, drivers who have reported such an occurrence happening to their own car could easily switch back into gear but those who remained unaware that the engine and transmission has been decoupled are the ones at risk of an incident.
The faulty component could cause an unusually high level of electrical resistance due to loose crimps attached to the sensor cluster, causing the car’s diagnostics to be activated and leading to unintentional transmission behaviour.
In the United States alone, ZF says over 505,000 vehicles are involved in the recall while FCA Australia will be issuing a statement shortly once the vehicles involved locally are determined. The transmission is found in vehicles other than those by FCA, but other manufacturers are yet not speaking on the fault. However, these could be due to a large majority of these transmissions in question being installed in FCA vehicles and that the fault may be the result of manufacturing processes that do not concern other automakers.
There have been many complaints of odd-behaving transmissions that have been reported to the NHTSA that are not limited to errant shifts into neutral but include rogue shifts into drive once park had been selected, surges in acceleration, rough and/or hesitation during gear changes, and even roll away incidents that have resulted in driver injuries.
Back in June, actor Anton Yelchin was found dead at his California home, pinned between his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a brick pillar when it rolled back on an incline. It was found that his SUV was running and its transmission in neutral. That car was involved in a recall involving a confusing gear lever design but had not been remedied.
Currently, reveal current models of Jeep are equipped with the ZF 9HP transmission including the Cherokee and Renegade, along with the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque. It is curious, though, that the recall only involves vehicles up to the 2015 model year despite the fault potentially being in cars produced today.
